LittleBigGalaxy? Alex Evans On What's Next For Media Molecule

So, user-generated content is kind of going to be your M.O. going forward, you think?

AE: Definitely. We started the company and we called it "creative gaming" rather than [that]... As I said in the talk, there's a very broad church. We can actually pick a different bit of the spectrum.

So, it doesn't have to be LBP-style creativity. It could be musical, or it could be God knows what. I think there's definitely a fixation at Media Molecule around the idea of engaging players creatively.

There's the whole idea of expanding the market with that. Do you feel that being on PlayStation 3 is enough of a place to expand, because obviously the market is limited because it's a single console?

AE: I have absolutely no regrets in going single-platform. A lot of people say, "You've missed out on X million install base if you'd gone here or here or Wii or whatever." To be honest, yes.

However, it's the fact that Sony put us up on a pedestal that we were bigger fish in their kind of messy pond at the time. It meant that we wouldn't have succeeded as well without that nurturing.

So, going forward, the install base becomes an element of what you think about. What's cool is the install base is growing. The core gamers are sold already, they have their PS3. And so, it is Sony's challenge.

They've had all these, you know, SingStars and the EyeToy games. They've had their casual gaming audience on the PS2, and they have to translate that over to PS3 now. As they do that, I'll be very happy with that, because that's how I see PS3 growing. That's why I'm kind of comfortable with it for now... As soon as they drop their price, ho ho ho.

(laughs)

AE: I shouldn't say that, but it's true. I mean, you know...

It is.

AE: I can't wait.

So you think that it was a good thing that you were pumped up by Sony? I was sort of speculating that LittleBigPlanet was being made into a system seller, where in my mind, rather than a system seller, it's one of those things that keeps you coming back. It seemed more like a solid userbase retainer than it is a system mover.

AE: I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. There's a really simple appetizing line, which we cando now, which is LittleBigPlanet, the game with half a million levels. That has an obvious sell. And in that sense, that's all about retention, you can keep coming back.

But as they migrate their casual audience from PS2 onto PS3, LBP needs to be out there getting the first round of PS3 converts. I know where you're coming from, but I don't think they're actually mutually exclusive.

I mean, the hype was a double edged-sword, certainly; we were under a lot of pressure, but we used it to our advantage as much as we could, and that's cool.

AE: Yeah, that was bizarre, embarrassing. I would've voted for Fallout 3 on a bunch of those, so it was great.

And GTA4 as well. I look at those games, and they're just incredible. I think we deserve all the recognition -- I'm not all modest. I think LBP is the most proud I've ever been of anything I've ever done, so it's so amazing, and so amazing for the team, but what a year for games.

A guy called Moo -- who joined us and used to be at Insomniac --- I remember in his interview, he said, "All I want to do is work on game of the year. That's my mission." So, I should have dedicated the game of the year to Moo because in a way, that simplicity was really cool. I'm really proud that we've been able to tick that box for him.

Yeah, that's a very straightforward goal and also a pretty good thing to say in an interview if it implies that your game is game of the year, and I want to work on it.

AE: Well, yeah, Moo was like, "I want to make a game of the year." Like straight back at him, "Well, you know, brilliant. Opportunity for you to make it game of the the year." That's what I was trying to sell him. In fact, I was selling the whole small company to him to such an extent that he and a friend of his, also from Insomniac, were like, "You know what? You've sold it to me so well, maybe I should [start a] startup."

I was like, "Actually, don't do that, a startup's not that great. Just join us for a bit." It's funny, recruiting is the single hardest thing that there is, that you have to do as a developer, I discovered.